Behind These Truths
by thefallerspage
Summary: After an incident happened years ago, the Pines twins never went back to Gravity Falls. But, after a long-lost friend summons Dipper, he heads back to the town where he stared death in the eyes. What will happen to Dipper whilst there, and can Mabel stop whatever is going to happen before it's too late? They soon see not everything they thought to be true is the truth...
1. Chapter 1

***/- GRAVITY FALLS -\\***

* * *

 _It's over. No more. You are gone. Give up. They are gone. The world has ended. Burn your hope. It's useless. Stop. Don't bother. Trying is useless._

Dipper jerked awake, sweat dripping down his face. He looked over at the clock. It was only 1:23 in the morning. He groaned and rubbed his face. He last saw it was 12:58. This was even less sleep than the last night, about a week ago. He ran his hand through his ruffled messy hair as he sat up. 'Another sleepless night for world-class paranormal investigator, eh?' He rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone.

"Hey, bro-bro! I hope you're sleeping right now, but don't forget we rescheduled tomorrows plans to Sunday! Love ya!"

He dodged a bullet there. He had totally forgotten about the plans in the first place, meaning he had accidentally scheduled a chase. Next he pulled out his laptop to check his emails. He normally gets about 10 a night asking for help, tips, or some random bullshit. As much as he would like to go through and block them all, he can't. God knows what would happen if he were to miss something real, or something in Gravity Falls. Dipper smiled at the thought of that old sleepy town. He hadn't been there in years, and he was more than nostalgic. He stopped going when he was 16. He wanted to go, but the… incident… had happened. He hasn't been back ever since. Now he's a 23 year old living his dream of being a paranormal investigator. Something still felt so off about his life, though, and he simply didn't know what it was.

 _Buzz! Buzz!_

Dipper's phone was ringing. He was prepared to answer it thinking it was Mabel, when he saw it was an unrecognized number. This had to be big. Dipper made sure people knew how to contact him through email, but no one besides Stan, Ford, Mabel, Wendy, Soos, and his parents have his number. They were all sworn to never give it away.

"This is Dipper Pines, Paranormal Investigator. What is your problem? I'll be there as fast as I can."

"Dipper! Thank God you answered! Come quick! Something's happening and I don't know what!"

Dipper scrunched up his face. This voice sounded oddly familiar. It was female, but he had no clue who he would know that wasn't in his contact list. "Ma'am, I need your name, and I need to know where to go."

"D-Dipper? Do you really not recognize me?" It clicked in Dipper's head, and he almost dropped the phone. "Dipper, its Pacifica Northwest, and I'm outside the town limits of Gravity Falls."

* * *

 ***/- GRAVITY FALLS -\\***

* * *

"Mabel, I have big news."

Mabel rubbed the sleep from her eyes and checked the time. It was almost 2 in the morning. She opened her messages and texted back. "Dipper? It's really late. You should be sleeping."

Almost instantly, he replied. "It's about Pacifica. I'm on my way to Gravity Falls. There's some kind of emergency. I wanted to tell you so you didn't freak out in the morning. Call me later."

Groggy with sleep, it took a while for Mabel to put the pieces together. She realized what was happening. "Dipper Pines, you are not going to that hick town! Everyone has forbidden it! Now lay down and go to sleep!" Mabel couldn't believe him. Even after what happened last time they were there, he _still_ wants to go back. He is supposed to be some kind of genius, yet he can't put two and two together. He could _die_ there.

"Sorry, Mabel. It's got to be big, because Pacifica tracked down my phone number to reach me. Unless someone wants to fess up to handing out my number, this means there is a huge problem. Don't worry, I'll stay out of the problem area. Just trust me this time. Please?"

Mabel sat there for a minute and thought. 'I mean, this could be a blessing in disguise. This could be some kind of sign to say, 'Hey! This is over! You can come back now? ', right? But what if this is a big trap to get him there. Last time he got pulled into a big mission, that _thing_ happened.' Mabel made up her mind.

"Sorry, but you can't go. I'm leaving now to stop you." She grabbed her car keys and slippers and started for the door when she got a text.

"Too late." It had a picture attached of Dipper driving.

"Damnit, Dipper, fine! Just don't hurt yourself! If you die, I will _kill_ you. I'll cover you for a week. After that, everyone knows. Got it?"

"Thanks, Mabel, you're the best.J"

'Fuck, yeah, I'm the best. I'm the best at sleeping,' she thought to herself as she peacefully lulled into the black bay of sleep.

* * *

 ***/- GRAVITY FALLS -\\***

* * *

Dipper got onto the freeway ecstatic. When he knew there was nobody nearby, he couldn't help but roll down the windows, blast the radio, and whoop as he drove. He couldn't help it! He was finally going back to Gravity Falls. His life changed when he got there that first summer, and now being away from it was like being away from his heart. He solved his first _real_ mystery there. He even found his first love. He let out a happy sigh at the thought of Wendy.

Wendy Corduroy was amazing, and now he was technically of age to date her without it being _too_ awkward. That would be one of the highlights of returning. He couldn't wait to go and see her after… he can't. She can't know he's there. She won't be as easy to convince to keep this a secret. Dipper crumpled a little at the thought of not seeing Wendy. That was supposed to be the highlight of the trip. Seeing his love again. He let out a melancholic sigh. As much as he wants to see her again he has a real mission to focus on. He shook of the small amount of tiredness he felt and drove on. He was an hour away from arriving.

He decided he should call Pacifica again. God, Pacifica Elise Northwest. He never thought he would have to hear _her_ name again. Last time he saw her was on his thirteenth birthday, and they were friends at the time. She ended up moving a town over, and, from what he had heard, she had only gone back to her treacherous, selfish ways. He couldn't help but wonder what she looked like, or what she was up to these days. What even made her go back to Gravity Falls?

"H-H-Hello?" Her voice was at a low whisper, She sounded raspy and on the brink of tears. Dipper frowned.

"Pacifica, it's me, Dipper. I can tell you're in a lot of trouble right now, and I need to know what is happening. Just breathe, and stay calm." Dipper very rarely used that voice, and he was surprised he did now. He used it mainly when someone close to him was at risk.

"D-Dipper, I don't know what it is. It wants y—I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please, no!" Pacifica yelped in pain. "P-P-Please just come as fast as you can. I don't think it wants me alive much longer."

Dipper stared out the windshield as she hung up. She was in real trouble, and he needed to get there fast. He adjusted his grip on the wheel, and pressed down on the pedal. His speed soared above 100. Good thing he had it modified to go past 300.

* * *

 ***/- GRAVITY FALLS -\\***

* * *

 _He's dead. He's gone. It was a trap. He's a goner. She's our slave. He loves her. You will be the only child. You will lose your only brother. His blood shall release us. We shall come for you._

Mabel ripped off the sheets and grabbed her slippers and keys. She had known it was trap! Why hadn't she seen it sooner? Now he was going to die! Now she was just worried about who was behind this. They had killed it, hadn't they?

She pulled out her phone and dialed Dipper's number. 'Desperate times call for desperate measures,' she thought to herself as she realized what she was going to say.

"Hello?"

" _Abel Tristen Pines, turn your car around now!_ " She blinked when she said his name. She hadn't called him that since before they started school. She had no doubt gotten his attention.

"W-W-W-W-What is it, M-M-Mabel?" Apparently she had shocked him a lot more than she thought. She felt a twinge of guilt, but she quickly shook it off. He was about to die.

"Dipper, this is a trap. Pacifica is being held prisoner by someone, and they are using her to get you. You _need_ to turn around, _right now_. This is life or death, Dipper! I'll go and rescue her. Just save yourself!" She noticed tears coming into her eyes and brushed them aside. She couldn't lose her brother. She couldn't. Not when they had so much more to live for.

He sighed on the other side. "I'm sorry, Mabel. I have to. If what you say is true, I can't let another person die for me. Too many people have, Mabel. Too many. Please turn around and don't come looking for me. Stay safe, and please forgive me."

She started crying harder. He had a second chance, and after all those years, he is willing to give it up? Not on her watch. "Dipper, you can't go! _Dipper, please! Stay home! Don't leave me! I don't want to lose you again!_ " She heard the click, signaling his departure. Still she screamed. "Dipper, you promised you'd stay! You promised to never leave me! You promised to never ever _ever_ do something crazy and stupid like this again! You can't die!" She pulled the car over to the side of the road and cried. She was about to lose her brother, and not even for the first time.

She knew what she had to do. She turned the car around and sped for the only people who might be able to convince him to stay. It was time to see Stan, Ford, and Wendy again.

* * *

 ***/- GRAVITY FALLS -\\***

* * *

" _Hush, now. Don't cry, doll face. You will be free soon. We just need the prize._ " A chorus of hisses filled the tunnels in every way, sounding like laughter. It also meant Pacifica was trapped, which didn't matter, anyways. If she tried to run they would just spit the acid again, and she would have to see their boss. Last time had been her warning. Next time would be her death.

"Why do you want him anyways? He's just a big nerd who reads books and captures 'magical' things. It's quite obvious he's only crazy. I thought you would know, since you're obviously crazy, too!" Pacifica felt her inside curl up a bit. That insult was worthy of punishment; punishments from her captors were not easy to shake off. She would have scars for the rest of her life, and they would be everywhere. Not an inch of her was completely scar-free. Some were small, and other looked as if she had been tested on.

The hisses began again, once more in that laughter rhythm. " _You do not actually believe so, darling. After all, you had lived through the fool Bill Cypher's Weirdmaggedon. You know better than most just how dangerous and weird the world truly is. The only person posing a risk is that boy, which is why we must find him. But, if you truly believe he is crazy, dear, that makes you crazy, too._ "

Pacifica shuffled uncomfortably in her spot. She could have easily retaliated, but she knew that that would guarantee punishment. Her previous comment had been pushing the line, and she had only gotten lucky. 'Come on, dorkasaurus. Aren't you supposed to be saving me? You can get out of this mess, right?' Then it dawned on Pacifica that she didn't know why they were after him.

"I had asked you why you want him. Can't you do I this small favor and answer me? I mean, that's the least you could do after everything." She braced herself for her next punishment, only to be greeted with muttered hissing. She knew this meant they were considering her request, and she was belated that she might _finally_ know something.

" _Very well, child. As I had previously said, Dipper Pines knows an exceedingly large amount of the world's abnormalities, and that poses as a risk. Not just for us on this dimension, but also for others in different dimensions. If he were to find the_ true _heart of your planet Earth's weirdness, he would find a portal, impossible to shut down. That portal could take him anywhere he wished, giving him a staggering new mountain of things to discover. Not all strange things are like what you see here. Here, you have your friendly, mildly evil, tad bit eviler, and straight up strange ones. Alas, in other, darker dimensions, you have chaotic evil gods. If you had thought Bill Cipher was horrid, your path has never mingled with the sheer_ aura _of these gods. They contain evils like no others. Luckily, our kind has trapped and conquered them all, so they can never do us harm again. If Dipper were to find one, he could become its master, giving him all cosmic power, he could accidentally set one free, causing the end of multiple dimensions, or he could kill it, putting an end to whatever cosmic body its life force is tied to. If he were to kill it, he could accidentally kill matter, which you humans thrive off of, or space, or absolutely anything. To ensure our kinds safety, we must kill the child. He must be sacrificed to one of the other greater beings of good in the cosmos. That is why we need him._ "

Pacifica stood there, slack-jawed. They were going to kill him. She had only thought they were going to get some information from him. 'Why do you care so much, Paz? You haven't even seen him since his thirteenth birthday. He's probably been busy living his little monster-hunting life. I mean, he didn't even know it was you when you called! He's just a little twerp.'

"Why not, just, tell him to stop? It makes a lot more sense than this plan of yours. Do you know how much harder you're going to make it?" She was really going out on a limb here. Everything got very quiet all of a sudden. She knew what this meant, and she braced herself.

The cave shook with an earsplitting shriek, and the torture started.

* * *

[ **AN:** As you all know, this is my second story. Yes, I am aware that I haven't finished the first one yet, but I needed to take a break. Writing my own ending is a little harder now that there is an official ending. Huge shout out to the amazing Jack Coffison, author of Welcome to Lovecraft. Reading that fic helped me find how I wanted my stories to go and be formatted. Definitely check out his works, they are worth it. I hope you like the story so far!]


	2. Chapter 2

***/- GRAVITY FALLS -\\***

* * *

There was a sudden knock on the door. Soos, Wendy, and Stan all eyed each other to see who would be the one to do it. Finally, after much loud knocking and staring, Ford charged angrily to the door. He opened the door and almost dropped the machine he was holding.

"What is it, Pointdexter, ya see another ghost?" The three of them chuckled lightly.

"M-Mabel, my girl." Stan fell out of his chair he was leaning in. "What can I help you with?" Mabel went past Ford and stood at the little table, knowing she had everyone's attention. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her cheeks were wet with tears. She sniffled and then broke down in tears again.

"I-It's Dipper. He-He's g-going b-back to Gr-ravity Fa-alls." She sat on the floor and cried harder. "I-I-I tried t-to get hi-him to st-stay, b-bu-but he wouldn't l-listen to m-me. Wh-what do we d-do." She looked up at the four of them with large, pleading eyes. "I-I can't l-lose him again. D-Don't you un-understa-and me? We ha-have to st-stop him bef-fore he d-dies again."

Ford turned to look at Stan, and saw he didn't know what to do. He also knew what he was feeling. Stan was thinking, 'Oh, shit. This kid can't go there. Mabel will lose him again, and she will be lost without him. I have got to do something, and fast.' Ford made a decision.

"How long ago did he leave?"

* * *

 ***/- GRAVITY FALLS -\\***

* * *

 _Bump a dump a dump a dump._

Dipper's car sputtered to a stop. He got out of the car and slammed the door; he needed to assess the damage and if he could fix it. When he looked underneath the car, he almost ran away from it. Had it not been for his countless sights from his many adventures, he would have gone crawling away with wet pants. It looked as if an animal had run underneath his car as he was driving and decided to jump into the engine box. It was dripping blood, and Dipper saw what seemed to be bones stabbed into the scarlet metal. Dipper shuddered uneasily. Whatever was holding Pacifica hostage clearly knew he was coming, and wanted to let him know so.

"I can't fix this. I have to call Mabel… No. She'll just want me to go back. And if I ask her to pick me up, she'll just take me back by force. I'll have to walk the rest of the way. Two problems with that, though; I don't know where I am, and I'm totally screwed if something like this happens again on the way. Damn it, what do I do? Why did Pacifica have to go and get herself captured…" As Dipper was muttering to himself, he saw headlights coming from the same direction. He decided it was worth a shot, and ran into the street to have them pull over.

"Hey, it's the middle of the night! Why are you out here walking?" The stranger looked oddly familiar, but Dipper just put it off, thinking maybe it was just a fan.

"I'm so sorry, sir, but I was on the way to…" Dipper realized he didn't have a cover up story. He decided to just go with the spur of the moment. "I was going to visit my girlfriend, but my car broke down, and there is something in the engine, so I can't fix it. Can you tell me where I am at and how far away I am from a town called Gravity Falls?" Dipper was blushing maddeningly, and he was grateful for the darkness of the night.

"Why, young man, you're almost to the edge of town. I'd say about an hour away."

"Walking distance?" Dipper couldn't help but ask excitedly. 'No, stupid. Why on earth would he know walking distance when he has a car! '

"No, I'm sorry. I'm afraid I don't know how long it would take. The thing is, though, I'm _headed_ to Gravity Falls now. Would you like a ride there?" Dipper couldn't help but jump up and fist pump the air.

"Yes! Oh, umm, I'm sorry. Yes, please. Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me." Dipper grinned as he opened the door. Something about this stranger still looked oddly familiar…

"Oh, well, it'd be a shame to keep such wonderful lovers apart, eh? Say, you look familiar. Do I know you?"

"We're n—"Dipper had to remember his cover. He had cut that one close. "Erm—no, I just look like a lot of people." Dipper didn't really want to be stuck in a car with a ravishing fan.

"Hmm, no not really." It seemed as if the old man had meant for only himself to hear that.

* * *

 ***/- GRAVITY FALLS -\\***

* * *

Dipper and the man, whom he later found out was William Code, finally arrived in Gravity Falls. As they were about to pull up to the limits, Dipper saw something, slink past in the shadows.

"Oh! Can you just let me out here? I'm supposed to be waiting for her out here." Dipper thought that this lie would raise questions, but William just simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Suit yourself."

As Dipper grabbed his bag of equipment, he thanked the man. "Again, you have no idea how much this meant to me! Enjoy your stay here in Gravity Falls!"

As William pulled away, he seemed to flash, and his voice sounded different. "Oh, do I know Pine Tree. And don't, for the love of demons, get yourself hurt, Dipper. You've used your last chance." As he drove off he cackled.

Dipper stared at the receding truck in utter awe. He thought for sure he was really here, but… no. This was definitely real. Meaning… Bill is back from the dead.

* * *

 ***/- GRAVITY FALLS -\\***

* * *

"You are _not_ going after that kid, Stanford!" Ford had gone and packed his bag with all his equipment, and he began to walk away.

"Oh, and you think I'm going to let you, an amateur, go after him? You are aware he is risking get snared by that _thing_ again, right? You wouldn't last 10 minutes against it!"

"Don't get so high and mighty with yourself, Sixer! I've also beaten and killed countless monsters. You need to rest! You've been working nonstop, and last night you early died trying to catch that Gryphon _I_ could have handled!"

"I will not sit here and argue with you because you want to be the hero, Stanl—"

" _Do you really think that's what this is about_? God, we give you and that brain too much credit apparently."

"Wh-What are you talking about?" Ford had been caught off guard. Why else would Stan want to go besides to be the hero?

"Think about it, Ford. I lost you in high school. I finally hear from you again, and it's only because you're trying to push me farther away, so we get in a fight and you fall through a portal. I then spent _30 years_ teaching myself just to try to get you back. When you did come back, you stayed away. When you started the apocalypse and got turned to gold, I was _crushed_ inside. You finally forgave and thanked me, and I finally had you back, and then you turn around to risk your life for stupid me. _I literally gave myself up to save you, Ford_. And, finally, I have you back, and we are all happy. I love you, Ford, and I care about you, and I refuse to lose you again. If anyone is going to risk their life, it's going to be me. It's the only thing I'm good for." Ford stared at Stan and felt something weird. He soon realized he was crying. 'It's been a while since I last cried. I haven't since… well, since Stan sacrificed himself.' Ford considered wiping the tears away, but thought better of it.

"Stan, you are good for everything. Like you said, you saved me countless times. That's why I can't let you go." Stan was about to stand up and say something when he was interrupted. "At least, not alone. Are you ready for another adventure?" Ford held out his hand. Stan started tearing up, and he grabbed.

"Let's do it."

They ran about packing their things. When they got outside to the car, they dropped their stuff in utter shock.

Both Stan and Mabel's cars were gone.

* * *

 ***/- GRAVITY FALLS -\\***

* * *

Mabel didn't have time for them to figure out what they were going to do. She didn't have time to let them fight. She needed to save her brother. She couldn't let him die again.

"Soos, take the Stans' car, and hide it somewhere. Meet me by town hall. Wendy, get in the car. We're saving Dipper."

Wendy gave Mabel a curious look. She's never acted like this before. "Dude, if you don't mind me asking, what happened last time that was so bad to make you _this_ worried?"

Mabel stopped what she was doing and looked Mabel in the eyes. Mabel looked as if she were about to tell Wendy off, but she thought better of it. "I-I'll tell you on our way." She looked down and got in the car. "Now come on. It's only so long until the Stans come out to leave."

Everyone got in the car and drove off. 'Please don't do anything stupid like get yourself killed, Dipper. Please,' Mabel thought to herself as she started the car.

* * *

 ***/- GRAVITY FALLS -\\***

* * *

[ **AN** : So yet another fun chapter to write. I hope y'all like my writing. Please leave reviews if you've got ideas, or even problems. I'll take any feedback at all. Another huge thanks to Jack Coffison for giving me the inspiration for this fanfic. I can't wait to write chapter three, and I hope you love it!]


	3. Chapter 3

***/- GRAVITY FALLS -\\***

* * *

"Is anyone here?"

Pacifica slowly woke to hear a voice. She struggled to sit up, and when she finally did, she saw the after effects of her latest torture. Every inch of skin visible was either red or purple, and the lines that crisscrossed her skin oozed a fluid. She considered swiping her hand across to identify it, but she decided not to do it. She didn't want to know what it was. She croaked an answer to the voice. "I-I'm here! Help! Please! I'm hurt!"

The sound of footsteps running towards her rang in her ears. She was weaker than she initially thought, and, as the stranger walked in, she passed out.

* * *

 ***/- GRAVITY FALLS -\\***

* * *

Mabel took a deep breath. "Boy, is this a tale to tell. Alright. Are you sure you want to hear this? It won't be pretty."

Wendy looked at her with a grim look of determination. "Of course. I want to know what happened to y'all."

"Alright. Seven years ago, we had returned to Gravity Falls for summer vacation. We did the usual, exploring old caves, hung out with Soos, Stan, and Ford, solving the town's mysteries and problems, you know, all the good stuff. Well, Dipper got really excited one morning. He wouldn't tell us anything about it, though, just that last night he discovered something huge, and that he wanted it to be a surprise. We all respected that, and so we stopped. I went upstairs to get ready for whatever it was today. When I came down, he muffled my voice and pulled me into the bathroom. He didn't look happy anymore. I asked him what was wrong. He told me that he had gotten a message. He wouldn't tell me who from or anything, but he told me that what he found is dangerous. That he couldn't risk us going out. I thought that meant we were _all_ staying, but, of course, I was wrong. He said he had to go out and kill it. Now, I may not be the smartest person in the world, but I knew this was too dangerous. First, he said no one, not even Ford, could come, and then next he's saying he has to kill whatever it is. Dipper has refused to kill _anything_ unless it was too dangerous to risk. The last thing he killed almost killed him. I told him he couldn't go, at least, not alone. He wouldn't listen to me. He stayed around most of the day, but when I went to use the bathroom, he grabbed his stuff and ran. I told Stan and Ford about it, and we all ran out to catch him. We searched all night, until we found him at 3:00 in the morning. We took too long. There was some sort of creature attacking him. It had the body and wings of a dragon, the torso of a woman, a python for a tail, and snakes everywhere. I mean, her hair was snakes, and they looked like a giant hula skirt around her legs. At her waist, where the dragon and woman met, her skin bubbled, forming animals, like bears, lions, and pumas. She had giant swords that seemed to be dripping with acid. Later on, Dipper told us that her name was _Kaampa_ , and that in Greek mythology, she guarded the cyclops and hundred-handed ones when they were thrown into Tartarus. She was a being of pure and utter evil. Dipper was still fighting her when we got there, but he was tired and had already taken quite the beating. As Ford pulled out his gun, Dipper saw us and got distracted for half a second. Half a second is all it took for _Kaampa_ to cut Dipper in the stomach, obviously wrecking his internal organs. Half a second was not long enough for Ford to shoot straight through _Kaampa_ 's head and sending her back to the hell pit she crawled from. Once she disappeared in a cloud of dust, as some monsters tend to do, which really helps with the cleanup, I ran to Dipper's side. As I knelt beside him, I already knew he was gone. Whatever had been on those swords was powerful, and seemed to kill him immediately. I sobbed and so did Stan, but Ford just looked flat out pissed. He turned and went straight to the mystery shack, not saying a word to either of us. When he came back he was carrying a shitload of stuff. He picked me up and moved me out of the way, and Stan stepped back with a sort of grieving awe. Ford pulled out all sorts of machines and supplies, and he kept trying all this stuff on Dipper. Finally, he came to the last of his stuff. He flipped on the machine. Nothing happened. He started screaming. He was just shouting Fuck and Dammit and many others into the void until he collapsed into a heap. He kept saying how it was his fault, how he could have protected him, how he could have jumped in front giving us enough time to kill her and run. Stan got angry about that. He got up and walked over to Ford, and just picked him up by his collar. He told him that he is never going to do like that. They started fighting. Normally I would have stopped them but I couldn't. I picked myself up, but I walked to Dipper, not them. I walked to him, and I curled up beside him. I wrapped my arms around him and I cried and talked to him. I apologized for everything I did, and I kept asking him to come back. At some point, Stan and Ford stopped fighting, and they just watched me. Then he moved. While I was crying, Dipper moved his arm to stroke my hair. He was still split open, but he was moving. I told Stan to get me my knitting stuff, and I told Ford to grab any medical stuff he thought would help. I sat beside Dipper for 6 hours, fixing him. I sewed him back together. He was alive by some miracle. He knows why, but he absolutely refuses to tell anyone. He stayed in bed for two weeks, and I only left his side if he needed something. One day, he was finally strong enough to walk around. That's when Stan told us to pack up. He said he told our parents about what happened, and that we were to return as soon as we could. He told us we were never coming back to Gravity Falls. I was partially happy, but Dipper was distraught. He couldn't fight us, though, so we went home. We haven't returned since." Mabel looked over at Wendy, only to realize they were both crying.

"W-Why didn't y'all ever tell me? How were you going to tell me he died if he had? You had to know I would notice eventually!"

"We didn't want to tell anyone. He hasn't been to the doctor since then because we are trying to keep this really confidential. He really shouldn't be alive, Wendy, as much as that hurts to say. Something horribly supernatural happened that night, and he could be taken away from us if anybody knew. We wanted to tell you, but we couldn't risk it." At that moment, they saw Soos waving them down.

"Are you dudes ready?" Soos saw they had been crying, and pieced together what had happened pretty quickly. "Don't you dudes worry, nothing like that will happen ever again." He smiled encouragingly.

Mabel swallowed down the threatening tears. "Let's go save my brother again."

* * *

 ***/- GRAVITY FALLS -\\***

* * *

After Dipper had gotten dropped off by Bill, apparently, he wandered around the woods on the outskirts of town, looking for _any_ sign leading to her location. He considered pulling out his flashlight, but decided against it, not wanting to lure any undesirable _anythings_. He was walking when he started hearing crunches. They were following him. He turned around, but saw nothing. He then started walking again, and, once more, he heard it. This time, instead of turning to see it, he ran. As he ran, the thing also began running. Just as he thought he was going to be caught, he fell in a hole.

"Jesus, fuck!" He screamed as he tumbled into the void. He hit the grown some seconds later, and he groaned. He did a precautionary feel around, and let out a sigh of relief knowing he hadn't broken anything. He then picked himself up, and decided that now was a good time to use the flashlight he had brought along with him. When he flipped it on, he nearly jumped out of his skin. Decorating the walls of the cavern he landed in were pictures of demons. He saw one or two that he vaguely remembered from his childhood of Bill, but the rest were unrecognizable. He walked up to one and touched it. "Who _are_ these demons?" They all ranged in form. Some were shapes, like Bill, some looked like people, animals, and plants, and the others were undefinable blobs. Those did have some shape, but Dipper simply couldn't define them. He took photos of them all. 'I should study these later,' he thought to himself. Just then he heard a scuttle in the darkness of the hall 10 feet away. "Hello?" He considered calling Pacifica's name, lest it be her, but decided against it. Instead of a scuttle, he heard a groan. "Is anyone here?" He listened once more and heard a voice calling back to him.

"I-I'm here! Help! Please! I'm hurt!" It was Pacifica. Dipper recognized her voice. He broke into a run in the direction her voice came from. He ran into the room where she was at. As he came in, she passed out. He gave her a quick glance over, and saw how bad of a condition she was in. She was burned, scarred, and torn. His mind flashed to the memory of what he looked like after his battle with _her_ , and he quickly shook it away. He almost thought _Kaampa_ was what had attacked Pacifica, but he quickly realized she wouldn't be alive if it _was_ her. He didn't know what creature, or plural, was capable of this. Sure, there were deadly beasts, but they never left marks like these. He stopped his examination and walked over to her. He opened her mouth to give her water, and he saw how scarred she truly was. Her mouth was a mess of white tissue and blood.

"Alright, this is going to hurt, Pacifica, but you have to drink something." He carefully uncapped the canteen, and as he gently poured it in, she gagged, spat, and moaned in pain. Slowly she opened her eyes. The usual pristine blue had been sapped to a dull gray. She saw who was holding her and cried.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry! P-Please forgive me!" Dipper couldn't tell who it was aimed at, but it had him worried.

"Hush. It's okay, Pacifica. You're going to be okay, I promise." He hugged her and rocked her back and forth, trying to soothe her. "Alright, I need to know what happened, and who is behind all this." He grabbed her shoulders and held her in a position where she had to look in his eyes. "You can trust me, Pacifica. I won't let anything else hurt you. You have to tell me everything." She wiped the tears from her eyes and began her tale.

* * *

 ***/- GRAVITY FALLS -\\***

* * *

The drive to Gravity Falls, Oregon was a long one. That is, unless you have a specially designed car made, tested, and approved by your great uncle who has 12 PhD's The drive was still quite lengthy, but Mabel had her mind set on a destination and _nothing_ would stop her. That is, until she started seeing blood. As she was driving, she could see a thin trail of blood. Mabel knew it had something to do Dipper.

"Um, Mabel? Are you seeing this?" Wendy was nervously rubbing her thumb against her pointer finger.

"Yeah, I do, and we're going to follow it. Keep an eye out and tell me if you see anything else."

They drove for a solid ten minutes until they found something else. It was Dipper's car. It was flipped over to where you could see the engine. Mabel glanced at it, but quickly looked away from the gruesome mess. It looked as if some poor creature – or person – had gone in and gotten themselves chopped up and mangled in the machinery. She could just look at the car and tell that something had gone and flipped the car over, as if they had been looking for something. Mabel almost started crying once again, but quickly felt a wave of relief. She saw a note left on the ground from Dipper. She picked it up and read it aloud to the group.

"Dear Mabel, my car has, clearly, been harassed by some demon. I can no longer use it, as it is ridiculously damaged, and clearly some being is trying to catch me. Don't worry, a man has offered me a ride to Gravity Falls for free. Since I know you are following me and will never stop, I guess I'll see you there. Please don't worry about me! It won't happen again, I promise! I'm smarter than last time. Love, Dipper."

Had they found the note before Mabel explained to Wendy, there would've been many questions floating in the air, but now, only one remained.

"What is after Dipper?" Wendy asked, her voice spilling fear.

Mabel saw the tears cloud her vision. That's why this scene didn't bother so much. Any other time she would've passed out, or thrown up. Like she did seven years ago. "I don't know who's after Dipper or why, but I do know one thing." Mabel stood up and wiped the tears from her eyes. " _Kaampa_ is back. She's not in charge, which is both good and bad. It's good, because that means we won't have to deal with her a lot."

Soos meagerly raised his hand. "What's bad about her not being in charge?"

Mabel saw everyone's face pale as they came to realize what this meant. She got in the car and slammed the door shut, and heard everyone else pool in as well. As she buckled, she said, "That means we are up against something much bigger than we could ever imagine."

* * *

 ***/- GRAVITY FALLS -\\***

* * *

When Ford eventually found his car, he found a note inside from Mabel.

"I don't want or need the two of you fighting, so I hid your car. I knew you would find it eventually, but now we have a head start. Please take this as a sign and don't come. You two need each other, and neither of you should risk your lives to prove it. We'll be fine, and we will bring Dipper home. I hope to see you soon! Love. Mabel."

Ford drove back to Stan. "Throw your shit in the car, we need to go. _Now_. The kids are all on their way. They left a lot sooner than we thought. We must've been fighting longer than we had known. If I'm right, they could be less than an hour away, possibly even there already!"

Stan nodded his head in understanding. "We have to stop them before we lose _everyone_."

Ford halted, and whipped around to look Stan in the eye. "We will lose _no one_. Don't even _suggest_ us losing Dipper again. I would _never_ be able to go another day knowing that little kid is dead, all because he followed in my steps. I think of Dipper as a better me, Stanley. He's smart, he's made a life for himself, he's following his _dream_ , but he still has all of his family, and he hasn't broken his promises. Heck, that kid is probably smarter, wiser, and braver than I'll ever be. I won't let him die. Not again. I could have stopped it the first time, but I was too weak. I didn't want to hurt such a rare specimen. That is, until it killed him. That was the last time I ever dreamt of sparing a dangerous creature's life. Nothing will _ever_ hurt Dipper again."

Stan looked at his brother in awe. "Well, what are we doing then? We sure aren't saving him standing around out here!" Ford gave Stan a sympathetic smile, and started the car.

"Let's go."

* * *

 ***/- GRAVITY FALLS -\\***

* * *

[ **AN** : Yay! That chapter was so much fun to write! Feel free to drop ideas below, if you want to see something. Oh, and in case you were wondering, all you demigods reading this, yes, those were references. There are two in this chapter. _Kaampa_ and Pacifica's eyes (They turned grey and she's blonde). So next chapter, we learn what happened to Pacifica after the twins left Gravity Falls the first time, when they were 13. I hope you all stay tuned and enjoy!]


	4. Chapter 4

***/- GRAVITY FALLS -\\***

* * *

" _Have I done well, Master?_ " The man sat in a chair, watching the boy comfort the girl. He smiled.

"Yes, my girl, brilliant. Now, please rejoin yourself and step forward so I may congratulate you." He watched as the spiders scuttling in front of him ran into one another, and eventually forming a woman with a giant spider's abdomen. Once upon a time, she had been beautiful, but an egotistical goddess had turned her into a beast. Granted, Arachne _did_ have it coming, because, although her weaving _was_ very beautiful, she became too prideful, and insulted all the beings of power.

" _Is something wrong, my Master?_ " Arachne shuffled her eight legs, clearly worrying that she had actually failed. Last time she was killed, she hadn't regenerated for another 15 years. Granted, it was better than some other monsters had, but it was still a long time.

"No, my child, nothing. Here." He tossed her a giant hunk of meat. She smelled it, then dove in realizing it was one of Apollo's red cows. "You earned it, my sweet. At long last, we have the boy. At long last, we might finally live free." The man laughed a hearty laugh, knowing he would win. No one has ever beaten him before, and no one ever will.

* * *

 ***/- GRAVITY FALLS -\\***

* * *

Eventually, Pacifica's sobs turned to whimpers. She couldn't believe it. Why on Earth did she call out to him? Now he was going to die, and there was nothing she could do about it. She wouldn't have minded dying; it would honestly be the only good thing she's done lately. But now Dipper was here. 'Well, maybe he can think of some plan to get us out of here?' Pacifica knew deep down that was only wishful thinking.

"Pacifica?"

He was calling her back into reality. "Y-Yeah?"

"I know you're hurt, and upset, but I don't know why. I need you to tell me what happened."

She nodded her head. "O-Okay." She swallowed the fresh wave of tears about to erupt. "W-Where do you want me t-to start from?"

Dipper looked almost scared when she asked that question. "W-What do you mean? I thought this all only happened to you at the most a few days ago." He looked genuinely surprised and, upon deeper inspection, Pacifica realized he didn't look almost scared, he was scared.

She gulped nervously. "I-I'll just start from the beginning."

Dipper nodded his head. "Y-Yeah. You do that."

"It started the day you left Gravity Falls, on your thirteenth birthday." Dipper's face quickly drained of all blood. She should have told some one sooner. "As I was packing my stuff to leave Gravity Falls, a voice whispered to me. It told me that it was in danger, and that it needed my help. After the party, I really wanted to do everything I could to be a better person, so I agreed to help. I should've known whatever it was planning would be bad when it made a contract appear, and I had to sign it. I was just so blinded by the thought of finally doing something good and worthwhile in this world, I didn't realize the evil behind this. It asked me to do so many evil things, always putting words behind the actions to make them sound good. Put those cigarettes in Sarah's purse; she gave you the wrong answer on purpose. She's trying to stop you. All these actions were horrible, but the worst happened my senior year. A guy, well, he tried getting into my pants. I told him to stop, but he didn't; he was too drunk to comprehend anything. The voice told me to do something horrible. It told me to wrap my hands around his throat, and to never let go until he stops. I killed that boy. I got off without any charges, as it was technically an act of self-defense, but it is still horrible. That's when I put my foot down. I told the voice to stop lying to me, and to tell me what the real plans were. It laughed, but this time it sounded like billions of voices. I blacked out. I woke up the next morning with a scar and a note. The note told me that punishment was to be inflicted when I disobeyed. It told me the punishments always got worse every time. I didn't stop, though. Sometimes I obeyed, but only if they weren't too big, such as lying. I never did anything more than words, and my words were never cruel, like telling someone to go and kill themselves. My parents naturally kicked me out as soon as they could. I soon realized I was alone. I didn't want to be alone. I finally went looking for the source of the voice. It seemed amused by my plans to find it, and actually gave me hints. Eventually, it told me I was in front of it. The only problem was, there was no one there! It told me to look down, and when I did, it was spider. It started laughing again, and that's when I noticed more spiders trickling into the room. I was surrounded. What made this punishment worse was the fact that, this time, I could see it happening. They forced me to do all their dirty work. I could no longer say no; they had tied threads around my neck, and if I disobeyed in public, they would pull and choke me. I was trapped. That is, until one day it told me of a new plan. It told me to return to Gravity Falls, and that the rest would be taken care of. They told me if I did that, I would be free. So I came back, a-and they snatched me. They've been doing strange things to me, Dipper. I should be dead. One day, I asked them why they were holding me hostage. I had just thought they had wanted a ransom, but it was worse. They told me they wanted you. I had just gone along with it until I realized, why do they need you? Earlier today, I finally mustered the courage to ask them a-and, w-well, t-th-they…" Pacifica looked up into Dipper's curious eyes and let loose a sob. "They want to kill you! I'm sorry, Dipper! I'm so sorry! Now you're going to die, and it's all my fault! I'm sorry!" Pacifica didn't know what she expected him to do, but what he did do surprised her.

* * *

 ***/- GRAVITY FALLS -\\***

* * *

Wendy and Soos had just gotten out of the car under Mabel's orders. They were to split up and search the woods, while Mabel was to drive around town. When they disappeared behind the trees, Mabel finally let loose. She had been holding back tears for what seemed like forever, but now she wasn't holding back. She leaned her head against the steering wheel and just sobbed. As much as she hated it, she knew something horrible was going to happen. She knew someone would _not_ walk out of this alive. She didn't know what to do.

 _Knock knock knock._

Mabel jerked her head up to see who was knocking on her window. She nearly had a heart attack when she saw who it was. "Robbie!?"

He signaled for her to roll down the window. "Hey, Mabel, what are you doing here? And why are you crying?" He regretted those words immediately.

Mabel's bottom lip began trembling in a heart-wrenching way. She couldn't hold it back. The sob exploded into the air. "Dipper's going to die!" She laid her head against the wheel to cry once more.

"W-What are you talking about? How do you know? Where is he?" Robbie did a few circles looking around the area, only to see nothing.

"He came here last night to save Pacifica Northwest, but I had a dream last night, and I know he's going to die. Either him or someone else, and if someone else was to die, he would _never_ forgive himself. That means he's going to die!"

Robbie shook his head. 'No,' he thought, 'this kid is _not_ about to sacrifice himself.' Robbie was slightly startled by the thought of protecting the twerp. He did, after all, save him _twice_. It was the least Robbie could do. "Where should I start searching?"

* * *

 ***/- GRAVITY FALLS -\\***

* * *

Ford loaded the gun as Stan jumped out with his. Stan shot a few times at the now burning wreckage.

"What the fuck was that, Sixer?! And what the hell is it doing by Dipper's car?!" Stan almost stepped into a puddle of its blood, but managed to evade it.

"Well, Stanley, if you had thought to _actually listen to me_ , you would have heard me _scream_ Chimera!" Ford had been driving when he saw the wreckage. As Stan had gotten out to check it out, a lion-goat-snake hybrid had jumped out. Its snake tail had spat venom while its lion head proceeded to burn the wreckage. Stan had managed a clear shot to its temple, killing it immediately. As Ford got out, he realized the blood was not the Chimera's. He quickly checked Stan for anything, and then he realized it was old and dry: Dipper. Ford put out the fire as quickly as he could and checked the car. There was no sign of Dipper. "Jesus, fuck, where is that kid?!"

"Think about it, Ford. If his – he's not here, he must be somewhere else." Ford nodded his head rather violently. He bent down and picked something up. "Whatcha got there?"

Ford held up a picture and a note. The picture was of Dipper; it was when he and Ford had first gone into the alien wreckage, the day when he offered Dipper the apprenticeship, the day when he almost tore those to kids apart. The day Weirdmaggedon began. Ford choked back tears and read the note. It appeared to be addressed to Mabel, but as he was about to put it in his pocket, he noticed writing on the back.

"Dear Great Uncle Ford, I am alright. I have no doubt that you found this in my car, after Mabel saw her note and left it there. Don't worry. I am going to be okay. I have to tell you, Mabel told me what happened… that day. Please don't blame yourself if anything happens. There was no way you could prevent what happened, just as there is no way you can prevent whatever will happen. Gruncle Ford, I know what's going to happen. I've… I've known since last time. Now is where I tell you why I'm still here. I can't die with this on my chest, so here goes. After I died, everything did not go black. I was also not still there, watching the whole scene. I was… well I was back… back at Bill's pyramid palace. He sat there, but he wasn't him. He was… he was human. He stood up from his throne and walked over to me. He told me that he was surprised to see me so soon. I asked him what he meant. He told me that he knew everything, but not everything. At this point I was confused. That's when he told me what was supposed to happen. He then offered me a… a second chance. He said I had a humongous job, and that I needed to be the one to do it. He told me I needed to stay in Gravity Falls, and I needed to find something. I didn't want to be dead, so I blindly took his offer. I didn't realize the consequences of what I had done. When I came back, I was plagued with nightmares. They weren't normal ones. They were… they were how everyone would die. According to Bill, nothing is definite until we get there, including our deaths. I saw every. Single. Way. You all could die. How I could die. When y'all forced me out of Gravity Falls, though, they changed. Not everyone else's, just mine. My death was always the same. No matter what I did, I was going to die that way. One night, Bill visited me in my mind. I asked him why, and he told me part of the deal was to stay, and I didn't, so now my fate was the equivalent of sealed. These dreams eventually drove me to the brink of insanity, and I stopped sleeping. I couldn't bare the looks of everyone's faces as they perished. Sometimes I slept, though, and while watching the deaths, I would see flashes of powerful beings I had never seen or heard of. I continued on with my life, just ignoring it all. That is, until I got the call from Pacifica. Ford, this is my destiny, what I need to do. Please do what I know Mabel didn't, and turn around. Hold onto that photo; it was one of the best and worst days of my life, almost like this one. I'm finally returning home, but at a cost. Don't blame yourself. Don't fight with Gruncle Stan anymore. Live your lives, go on adventures. I'll be – I was going to say I'll be okay, but I won't, and that's okay. Keep Mabel safe for me. Please? Love, Dipper."

Ford stumbled back into Stan, who had been reading it from over his shoulder. He turned to face Stan, who was also sobbing, and hugged him. They sat in the road for a while, just hugging and crying. When they got into the car, Stan looked at his brother.

"So what are we doing now?"

Ford pulled the strap over and buckled. "What Dipper asked us to; we're going to protect Mabel."

* * *

 ***/- GRAVITY FALLS -\\***

* * *

[ **AN** : Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. I'm honestly so ridiculously involved in this fandom, I'm drowning in work. I hope you like this chapter, weaved with glorious backstories and feels. Leave reviews with your thoughts on it! Thanks guys, love you!]


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